I don’t know about you, but I am always on the lookout for new additions to my library. I usually read 3-4 books simultaneously. So, I am always happy to receive a good book as a gift, or even just to get some recommendations. I actively surf the internet for lists like: “10 Books You Must Read Before You Die”; “5 Books that Changed My Life”; “The Greatest Books of All Time”; or “Top 10 Books on Self-Improvement”.
In this post, I’m sharing ten of my favorite books on personal development I read in 2020. You could use this list to find the perfect gift for a friend or family member who is a personal growth aficionado or to “surprise” yourself with a good read before the New Year.
To make the decision easier for you, I share what I think it’s worth to know about each book. That is, a summary of each book’s teaching, a few of my favorite quotes, and I also ranked these books based on how much spirituality you can expect, on a scale of one to ten. (One is a book that contains little spirituality and more practicality and ten is a highly spiritual book.)
To me, spirituality has nothing to do with religion, but it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life.
1. Eckhart Tolle: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
“The secret of life is to “die before you die” – and find that there is no death. “
Teaching: Living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment.
Spirituality level: 10
2. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: Happiness Is the Way
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” “You become what you think about all day long.”
Teaching: Happiness and success are both an inner process. You can’t find them, you can only become them.
Spirituality level: 8
3. Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist
“When you want something, the whole universe conspires for you to achieve it”
Teaching: The story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd, is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
Spirituality level: 8
4. Jay Shetty: Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day
“Fear motivates us. Sometimes it motivates us toward what we want, but sometimes, if we aren’t careful, it limits us with what we think will keep us safe.“
Teaching: In his book, Shetty provides practical steps to take to live a less anxious, more meaningful life by way of reducing stress, improving relationships, and giving the gifts we find in ourselves to the world.
Spirituality level: 7
5. Robin Sharma: The Leader Who Had No Title
“In this materialistic world, we chase titles, fast cars, and big bank accounts in search for greatness, when in truth, all that we really want, we already have. The excellence and the happiness we crave is inside of us.”
Teaching: Regardless of the current circumstances of your life, the single most important fact is that you have the power to show leadership. This book shows you how to claim this power.
Spirituality level: 5
6. Napoleon Hill: Think and Grow Rich
“No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.” “With persistence comes success. There is no substitute for persistence.”
Teaching: The book‘s philosophy revolves around the idea that any kind of success can be reached through mental visualization and imagination. Hill shares his simple, 13-step formula to help the reader become super-successful.
Spirituality level: 4
7.Jen Sincero: You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
“What you chose to focus on becomes your reality.” If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse. “
Teaching: This refreshingly hilarious book shows you how to create a life you totally love, and how to create it NOW.
Spirituality level: 3
8. Rachel Hollis: Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
“It’s not enough to know what your goal is going to be. You’ve also got to know why you want it so badly and use it as a leverage to motivate yourself when you want to give up. You have to know what you focus on, or you will never make progress.”
Teaching: Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.
Spirituality level: 2
9. James Clear: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
“Habits are mental shortcuts learned from experience. Habits reduce cognitive load and free up mental capacity, so you can allocate your attention to other tasks. “
Teaching: This book will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits.
Spirituality level: 2
10. Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
“Satisfied needs don’t motivate.”
“To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”
Teaching: Covey gives you a guide on how to live life effectively and get closer to the ideal of being a ‘success’ in life.
Spirituality level: 1
